Mandurah Dolphin and Christmas Lights Cruises Guide

Quick answers

Where do the Mandurah dolphin cruises leave from? Mandurah Cruises' dolphin cruise leaves from its jetty at Mandjar Square, in front of the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. Visit Mandurah describes the same area as Mandjar Bay. The operator's ticket office is at 73 Mandurah Terrace and is open 9am to 3.30pm daily.

How long is the dolphin cruise? Mandurah Cruises lists its Dolphin Cruise & Views as 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, departing 10am, 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3pm daily, with extra departures in peak periods (times as shown on the operator's page; check before you go).

Are dolphins guaranteed? No. They are wild animals. The operator offers a Dolphin Guarantee: if your cruise does not see dolphins you can travel again free until you do, on the conditions on its page. Visit Mandurah says plainly that sightings cannot be guaranteed on every trip.

Mandurah dolphin cruises: what to expect

The Peel-Harvey Estuary is home to a resident population of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins. Mandurah Cruises says more than 100 live in the estuary, with about 30 more in the Dawesville Cut, and Visit Mandurah also says more than 100 live permanently in the estuary. The operator's dolphin cruise page says around 90, so treat the numbers as a rough guide. The Mandurah Dolphin Research Project, led by Murdoch University, identifies individual dolphins by the markings on their dorsal fins, and the operator's guides know many of them by name.

The dolphin cruise winds through the Mandurah Ocean Marina, the canals and out onto the estuary. Mandurah Cruises says groups on its cruises usually number 2 to 15 dolphins and sometimes up to 30, and that the dolphins are not fed: they choose to be there.

Best time to see dolphins

Visit Mandurah suggests the morning, when the water is calm, and late afternoon, when there is less boat traffic. Spring and summer mornings suit families with young children, because the day is cooler and a 10am departure still leaves the afternoon free for the beach.

Dolphin etiquette if you are on the water yourself

If you paddle, boat or fly a drone around Mandurah, Visit Mandurah publishes these distances: stay 50 m away when swimming, keep 100 m away in a boat, kayak or paddleboard, and keep a drone 60 m away. If dolphins approach, slow down gradually and move away slowly until you are about 100 m apart. Never feed them.

Mandurah Christmas Lights cruises 2026

Mandurah's canal estates light up every December, and the operator's Christmas Lights Cruise runs every night from late November 2026 to early January 2027, passing what it describes as over 200 decorated homes. Visit Mandurah says Christmas lights cruises typically run from 1 December through early January, so confirm the first night when you book.

Mandurah Cruises lists these 2026 departures:

Mandjar and Dancing Dolphin: 7.15pm and 8.45pm (1 hour) from the Mandurah Cruises Jetty. SuperCat: 7.15pm (1.5 hours) and 9pm (1 hour). Reel Affair: 7.15pm and 8.45pm from Stingray Point Jetty, 14 Vivaldi Drive. Libby J: 7pm (1.5 hours) and 8.45pm (1 hour). Extended 2-hour cruises run only from 18 to 22 December. A New Year's Eve cruise runs on Thursday 31 December from about 7.15pm to 9.15pm, and a sensory-friendly cruise on Dancing Dolphin runs on Sunday 6 December at 7.15pm for guests with legitimate sensory needs.

Book early. The operator says early bookings are essential and that Christmas Lights tickets are non-refundable, including if you cannot attend, with date changes subject to availability. Only Mandjar and Dancing Dolphin are wheelchair and walker accessible; SuperCat, Reel Affair and Libby J are not.

Other operators also run lights cruises, including Pirate Ship, White Pearl, Aquabout Mandurah, Mandurah Houseboats and Pontoon Boat Charters according to Visit Mandurah. The free Mandurah Christmas Lights Trail on the Eastern Foreshore is listed for Friday 4 December 2026 if you want a no-cost night out as well.

Other cruises worth a look

Mandurah Cruises also lists a four-and-a-half-hour Murray River Lunch Cruise with a four-course lunch and a guided walk at Cooper's Mill (it does not carry the dolphin guarantee), seafood cruises from Stingray Point Jetty (Mandurah Lobster Lunch, Lobster Catch and Cook Cruise and the Wild Seafood Experience), sunset cruises and BBQ boat hire. The Western Rock Lobster used on its seafood cruises is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as sustainable, according to the operator.

Getting there, parking and booking

The operator lists free all-day parking, no ticket required, at the Reading Cinema and Mandurah Performing Arts Centre carpark on Ormsby Terrace. Arrive about 15 minutes before departure. Online bookings for the dolphin cruise usually close 30 minutes before departure, after which you can phone 08 9581 1242 or use the ticket office. The Mandjar vessel is wheelchair accessible, but guests must be able to move around the vessel independently and safely.

Prices change with the season and with specials, so check the operator's own booking page for the current fare instead of relying on a number printed in a guide.

Where to stay for a Mandurah cruise weekend

Staying within walking distance of the foreshore means you can leave the car at the house, enjoy the evening and still walk home after a night cruise. Josh's Sea Breeze is a two-bedroom apartment that sleeps four, 5 minutes on foot to Silver Sands Town Beach, 7 minutes to the Mandurah Foreshore and 15 minutes to the Mandurah Ocean Marina, with a shared year-round outdoor pool and a private balcony with a pool view. Pets are by request, so ask before booking. Sea Breeze Apartment is also two bedrooms for four guests, with a private terrace and balcony. Booking direct with WTP Holiday Homes means live availability and no platform middleman.

If you are timing a trip for the lights, Christmas and New Year weekends fill first, so lock in both the cruise and the stay as soon as your dates are set. Heading down for crabbing instead? Read our Mandurah crabbing season guide for the rules and gear.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the Mandurah dolphin cruise leave from?

Mandurah Cruises' dolphin cruise leaves from its jetty at Mandjar Square in front of the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, in central Mandurah.

How long is the Mandurah dolphin cruise?

The operator lists 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, with departures at 10am, 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3pm daily.

Will we definitely see dolphins in Mandurah?

Not definitely. Dolphins are wild and sightings cannot be guaranteed. Mandurah Cruises offers a Dolphin Guarantee that lets you travel again free if none are seen, subject to its conditions.

When is the best time of day to see dolphins in Mandurah?

Visit Mandurah suggests calm mornings and late afternoons when there is less boat traffic.

When do the Mandurah Christmas lights cruises start in 2026?

Mandurah Cruises says its Christmas Lights Cruise departs every night from late November 2026 to early January 2027. Visit Mandurah says lights cruises typically run from 1 December, so confirm the first night when you book.

Are Mandurah Christmas lights cruises refundable?

Mandurah Cruises says Christmas Lights bookings are non-refundable, including if you cannot attend, and date changes depend on availability. Visit Mandurah says tickets are usually non-refundable.

Is there parking near the Mandurah cruise jetty?

Mandurah Cruises lists free all-day parking, no ticket required, at the Reading Cinema and Mandurah Performing Arts Centre carpark on Ormsby Terrace.

Are the Mandurah cruises wheelchair accessible?

The Mandjar and Dancing Dolphin vessels are wheelchair and walker accessible. SuperCat, Reel Affair and Libby J are not, and the Cooper's Mill walk on the Murray River cruise is not.

How close to the dolphins can I go in my own boat or kayak?

Visit Mandurah says keep 100 m away in a boat, kayak or paddleboard, stay 50 m away when swimming and keep drones 60 m away.

Where can I stay near the Mandurah Foreshore?

Josh's Sea Breeze is a 7-minute walk to the Mandurah Foreshore and 5 minutes on foot to Silver Sands Town Beach, with a shared year-round pool. Sea Breeze Apartment is nearby and also sleeps four.

Sources: Mandurah Cruises dolphin cruise, Christmas Lights Cruise, Mandurah's dolphins, Visit Mandurah dolphin watching and Visit Mandurah Christmas lights cruises, all read 21 October 2026. Times, dates and conditions are the operators' own and can change, so check before you book.